Ramblings of the many thoughts in my head.

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When it’s a habit

My post tonight is supposed to be about habits. Last night I decided I was going to start posting today in my blog and here it is 9:15 at night and I am just getting the chance to sit down and write. The reason I chose the topic habit, is because I’m hoping that writing will become one and I know that I am nothing if not a creature of habit.

For years I worked out on my lunch hour sweating to a workout dvd in an empty office or taking a stroll or job around a nearby neighborhood. It helped me tremendously in my day. Because I worked in an office, sitting at a computer all day staring at a screen was not only mentally exhausting but also hard on the body. I know, one wouldn’t think sitting at a computer is hard on the body. Those are the people who don’t do it. Anyway, that’s a topic for another time. I loved my lunchtime work outs. It broke up my day and got the blood flowing a little. So I would get to work about 7am, take lunch at 11 and workout and be off by 4. Well, on that fateful day in February my job ended with the company I called home for 8 years and I moved on.

On March 3rd I started working at a new job, a new desk, and a new computer. What really made this job different though was new hours. I didn’t start my work day until 9am which is 2 hours later than I am use too. Which also meant I worked 2 hours later. Now some may say that is not a big deal and that it’s actually a more ideal schedule. And I may agree now, but it took me 7 weeks to find a routine and create my habits that made me comfortable in my day. With this new job I didn’t feel comfortable changing and working out on my lunch hour. The employer itself was okay with it but for whatever reason I didn’t feel as comfortable doing it. Since my work day started 2 hours later, I tried working out in the mornings. That was the biggest fail of my life. I am not a morning person and alone I was not able to make this successful. I even tried just doing some light yoga and that didn’t work either. I also tried to workout after work. That definitely didn’t work out for me. When I first started working out I started by doing it after work and I loved it. But this time, I wasn’t able to do it either. Working two hours later seriously exhausted me and when I did get home the kids wanted to eat. Damn kids and I felt like I just didn’t have enough time in the day anymore so working out at night was out.

So here I was, unable to find it in my schedule to work out and struggling because my body was missing it greatly. The lack of physical activity effected my mood, which was crappy, my body, which got very soft, and my nutrition which is in horrible need of an overhaul. Very simply put, I was miserable.

Eventually, I found my way. It took 6 weeks but I finally felt comfortable enough to start working out on my lunch hour and now my body feels happy again. I’ve created a habit or recreated it. When I missed my lunchtime workout yesterday I was actually able to come home and get it in at 8pm at night because my body told me I needed it.

You know, when I originally thought about writing about habits I was going to write about other things. Like holding on to people, ideas and things out of habit and not need or even want but as usual, when I sit down and let my fingers do the walking, it took me in a different direction.

Thanks for listening to me ramble and tell you about my struggle with getting back into my workouts. It’s a habit I just can’t break.